A song with Davy Sharing memories in ongoing recognition of 25 years since the Monkees release of "That Was Then This Is Now" ...

Over the years the Monkees have been great about acknowledging me as a songwriter and performer and often invite me to join them on stage.

On a memorable evening in 1997 Davy Jones very graciously invited me to join him for my song during his solo performance at La Bar Bat, a club in NYC. Click on the photo to view more.

If you haven't discovered these videos in your browsing, catch me with Micky Dolenz and watch the 1986 "That Was Then This Is Now" Monkees video.

A chorus with Micky Dolenz at Teen Idols show in 2009.

1986 "That Was Then This Is Now" video

Inspiration for a songAs a songwriter I never know what or who might inspire me to write a new song. Sometimes the lyrics and melody are suddenly just there, but other times it's only thoughts and it takes time for the final song to come together. In the case of one song, a resident in one of the nursing homes where I sing made a suggestion.

In her younger days Vivienne Della Chiesa was a well known voice on American radio singing on The American Album of Famiiar Music, The Amercian Melody Hour and The Standard Hour. In the 1930s and 1940s she sang music from operas, musical theater, jazz and popular songs and performed on the opera stage with the Chicago City Opera Company and Chicago Opera Company. She was also a successful nightclub singer in the 1950s and a headliner in Las Vegas, Reno and other cities across the country. She was a voice teacher and charity fundraiser after her singing career.

I saw Vivian often when she was a resident at Hilaire Nursing Home in New York. She liked all kinds of music, including and beyond what she performed during her career. Her favorites included artists from Andy Williams to Jim Morrison. I've missed seeing her since she passed in 2009.

The populations have changed in the places where I work and include many Latino, Caribbean, Jamaican and Haitian residents. Vivian knew that I was fluent in Spanish and encouraged me to write a romantic Spanish song. I had her in mind when I wrote this song to share with Spanish speaking residents. I haven't recorded the song, but here's a clip from a radio interview on WUSB 90.1fm Stonybrook, NY that includes the song Eres Mi Vida.

Learn more about my music work in nusring home on the Music Memoirs page .